ALEXANDRA TALKS ABOUT HER PROJECT CAREER AT HR FACTORY

How it all began …

I joined HR factory shortly after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2019. In the past, I was often asked how I came to work in HR with a degree in social pedagogy. Well, I have to admit, actually by chance. I got to know HR as a possible field of activity in a course on adult education and then completed my internship semester in the HR department of a Munich research institute. I liked the internship so much that I stayed with the institute as a student trainee, wrote my bachelor’s thesis there on an HR-related topic, and worked as a junior HR officer for a transitional period.

When it was time for me to embark on new adventures, my path led me to HR factory. I wanted to find out whether HR was really my professional home, wanted to get to know the different HR areas in other companies, wanted to try things out. I definitely got this opportunity during my one year as a Junior HR Expert at HR factory so far. In the course of my project career, I have been able to support four different clients so far, whereby the focus of my work has always been HR administration.

My projects at HR factory

Project 1: IT-Security

My first project assignment was in an IT security company. This was the first time I got to know HR outside my usual environment at the research institute. Processes I was familiar with were similar, but somehow different. For tasks that I had previously done without a system, I suddenly had an IT tool at my disposal and vice versa. In addition to tasks in the area of administration, I also took over applicant management, for example.

Project 2:Electrical engineering

I had the same combination of activities in my follow-up project at a company in the electrical engineering sector. In this project, I was able to expand my experience in recruiting. In addition to conducting briefing interviews, placing job advertisements, researching, contacting and cooperating with personnel service providers, I was also able to conduct initial interviews with applicants together with the specialist department.

Project 3: Technology

My journey then continued and took me to a group in the technical field. There, I worked in the company’s HR Operations team. I supported the HR Business Partners in their day-to-day operations and assisted in the revision process of employee documents following a company-wide restructuring. This process taught me that HR sometimes requires perseverance and staying power. This was my first exposure to HR in a corporate environment. Previously, I had never worked in such a large HR team with different sub-departments. It was also new for me that communication with the employees to be supervised was often still “by you”.

Project 4: Architecture

Recently, I was given the opportunity to support the HR team of an international architecture firm. The challenge for me as an Apple rookie was to work with an iMac for the first time. I still smile today when I think back to my first days there 🙂 . Overall, I find it very exciting to work in this environment. I take on tasks in HR administration and push the topic of digital personnel files, which is gaining noticeably in importance in the current times of the Corona pandemic. In addition, I can now also take on tasks in recruiting and thus work in a more generalist way again.

Summary

All in all, I was able to get to know a wide variety of companies, industries, HR departments and tools during my time at HR factory. I experienced working in large and small companies as well as HR teams, with or without a works council, tool-supported or not, and was able to develop personally and professionally.

What is it like to work in changing projects? Sure, it demands commitment, flexibility and adaptability – but you really learn a lot. I also really appreciate the exchange between HR experts at HR factory. For example, the discussions we have at HR factory team events are always super exciting because of the mutual exchange of experiences. To be honest, I never thought I would be where I am today. When I was a teenager, I always said I didn’t want to work in an office, I wanted to help people.

My time at HR factory has definitely confirmed my career aspirations. In any case, I would like to stay in this field and continue to develop professionally. I am very grateful for all my experiences at HR factory and I am looking forward to an exciting journey as an HR expert!